Miniature rose plant named ‘SAVapam’

ABSTRACT

‘SAVapam’ is a new and distinct variety of miniflora rose plant primarily identified by its double, old-fashioned, pink and pink blend flowers on an upright and well branched plant. Flowers last a long time both on the plant and as cut flowers. Its dark green, semi-glossy foliage has shown exceptional disease resistance in national, outside testing. ‘SAVapam’ is hardy as least to zone 5 and heat tolerant at least to zone 9.

CROSS REFERENCE

The present invention can be compared to ‘SAVahowdy’ (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 5,097), which is from this same hybridizing program. The coloring ofthe flowers of both cultivars has a darker pink splashed onto thelighter pink of the outer petals. The flowers of these two plants havesimilar petal counts and similar thickness and texture to the petals.Both cultivars have above average disease resistance.

Similarities may also be seen between this new invention and a miniaturerose named ‘Kay Denise’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,946). Although ‘KayDenise’ is overall slightly smaller the flowers take on a similarappearance to that of this new invention, especially during the warmermonths.

These three plants are related through the rose variety ‘Little Darling’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1,581,), a light yellow and pink blend floribunda.‘Little Darling’ is a grandparent to both this new cultivar and‘SAVahowdy’ and a great-grandparent to ‘Kay Denise’.

These roses may be differentiated by flower and foliage size and planthabit. The new invention has a larger open bloom and larger foliage thaneither ‘SAVahowdy’ or ‘Kay Denise’ and grows 10 to 12 inches tallereither, which is why this new cultivar, ‘SAVapam’, is classified as aminiflora. Although the open bloom is of similar size to the open bloomsof ‘Little Darling’, the individual petals are not as broad on the newinvention and the plant of the new invention is somewhat smaller, withshorter internodes and slightly smaller foliage.

Genus and species: This present invention relates is a new variety ofRosa chinensis hybrida.

Varietal denomination: This new cultivar has the varietal denominationof ‘SAVapam’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new and distinct variety of miniflora rose was created undercontrolled conditions in a greenhouse in Rowley, Mass., in 1994, bycrossing ‘MORpoly’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,453) as the seed parent withpollen from ‘MACgenev’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,279). Goals of thisbreeding program include disease resistance and hardiness along withfragrance and hybrid tea type, exhibition form in diminutive size roses.In an attempt to breed toward this end, ‘MORpoly’ was selected for itsdiminutive size and ‘MACgenev’ was selected for its flower form andfragrance. Both parent plants are known for their vigor, hardiness andabove average disease resistance. Over a consecutive two year period inthis hybridizing program, over 7,000 seeds were planted from this crossin a controlled environment. Germination rate was 30 to 40 present. Atotal of 65 plants were chosen for further evaluation. Only two of thoseseedlings were classified as pink blends, one of them being this newcultivar, ‘SAVapam’. Two other roses were previously introduced fromthis line, ‘SAVyk’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/731,482,abandoned) and ‘SAVanade’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,810), both being darkyellow miniatures, with good vigor and above average disease resistance,and neither having notable fragrance.

While the new cultivar does not have strong fragrance or hybrid tea formflower form, it did prove to be highly resistant to diseases and insectsand is very winter hardy. The flower size is larger than the typicalminiature but fits well into the newer classification of miniflora. Theflower form is more typical of an old-fashioned flower. Theold-fashioned flower form and its vigor and larger size make it a verymarketable plant.

Similarities with the seed parent, ‘MORpoly’ are not obviously apparent.Both the seed parent and the new cultivar are vigorous and wellbranched. The thickness, texture and appearance of the flower petals arethe same. Seedlings from this seed parent often have the increaseddisease resistance found in this new cultivar.

The most immediate difference is flower color and form—‘MORpoly’ is allyellow with near hybrid tea form while the new cultivar is only yellownear the base of the petals and has an informal, old-fashioned form.

This new cultivar has similarities to its pollen parent, ‘MACgenev’,with similar flower coloring and petal counts. The differences betweenthe two are most noticeably in the sizes of the flowers and plants.‘MACgenev’ is an hybrid tea with much larger flowers and plant habit.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of hardy,dwarf, bush-type rose plant of the miniflora class. Among thecharacteristics which distinguish this new invention from otherspresently available, of which I am aware, are its unique combination ofthe following: the shade of pink coloring of the petals on a plant ofminiflora size; its double, old-fashioned, cupped bloom form; flowersthat open slowly and with great substance, lasting 2 weeks or more onthe plant or as cut flowers; its blooms are born mostly solitarily; itsmild degree of fragrance; its above average disease resistance; itsdegree of winter hardiness as well as its degree of heat tolerance.

Other notable characteristics are its semi-glossy, dark green foliage ona full, upright, well-rounded and well-branched plant with abundant andnear continues bloom production, making it very suitable for outdoordecoration.

Successive asexual reproduction by cuttings of this new variety inRowley, Mass., and Arroyo Grande, Calif., have shown that alldistinguishing characteristics of this rose continually come true toform.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color photographs show specimens of this new cultivarin different stages of development, from plants grown in San Luis ObispoCounty, in California. The flowers in the larger picture are from plantsgrown in a greenhouse where the top is opened in good weather, allowingfor direct sunlight to hit the plants. The flowers in the inset are fromplants that were grown under plastic. The sunlight directly on theplants created the greater intensity and variations of color, as seen inthe larger image.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following observations, measurements, values and comparisonsdescribe plants of this new invention, ‘SAVapam’. at 6 or more years ofage growing outdoors in Essex County, Mass., in standard, 8-inch nurserycontainers, in an artificial soil mixture with intermittent liquid feed.Past observations have noted soil pH, nutrition and various lightintensities directly affect the intensity and degree of color found inand on the bloom and foliage. On plants grown outside, the coolertemperature of fall create the most intense color and variegation. LowpH and accompanying low nutrient levels allow for considerably lesscolor variegations and a much paler color in both the flowers and thefoliage. The flower form and general color and plant habit still allowthe plant to be clearly identified as ‘SAVapam’. For this writtenbotanical description, the plants observed had good pH and nutrientlevels, throughout the summer months. Throughout this specification,color references are to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chartexcept where common terms of color definition are employed.

-   Parents: ‘MORpoly’ by ‘MACgenev’.-   Botanical classification: Rosa chinensis hybrida.-   Commercial class: Miniflora.

FLOWERS

The new cultivar usually bears its flowers singly but may also be inpyramidal clusters of three to five, especially on those flowering stemsoriginating near the base of the plant in candelabra-type growth.

Outdoors, the plant is a recurrent bloomer with a very short timebetween bloom cycles. Under greenhouse conditions, the plants can easilybe kept in continual bloom. The flowers are a blend of pinks and coralsand have moderate fragrance.

-   Buds: The size of the buds, just before the sepals first divide,    varies from 17/32 to 21/32-inch long and from 7/16 to 9/16-inch wide    at the widest point. The most common size is 21/32-inch long and    15/32-inch wide with the shape of ovoid with a cuspidate apex and    truncate base. The color when the sepals first divide is rhodonite    red, near 51A.-   Sepals: As the flower opens, the sepals most often roll back to    become perpendicular to the stem, sometimes with the outer ends    curling up or down and often with involute margins, and remaining in    that position, attached to the receptacle, until after the hips    ripen. The color of the outer surface is 146B, sometimes with weak    anthocyanin coloration present, and becoming near 144A at the center    and base of each sepal. The sepals are elliptical, starting from the    truncate base at their attachment to the receptacle, becoming    penicullate and with the outer 3 sepals having a lanceolate tip that    is one-fourth to one-third of the entire length of the entire sepal.    Sepals extend 5/16-inch beyond the tip of the bud, just before they    start to divide. All five sepals are 5/16-inch wide at their widest    point. Inside texture is tomentose, appearing a light green, near    148C.

The two innermost sepals have ciliate margins but no foliar appendagesand are 12/16- to 14/16-inch long. The outer surfaces have hairsdecreasing from the ciliate margin to one-third of the distance in fromthe margin to the center, being void of hairs in the center.

The two innermost sepals are 14/16- to 17/16 inch long. Margins areciliate with one or two linear-shaped appendages on each margin andstipitate glands, near evenly spaced at the rate of approximately oneevery 1/32-inch, but none along the margin of the lanceolate portion atthe tip. The outer surfaces have only a few random hairs. The linearappendages are void of hairs on both surfaces. Looking down on theadaxial side of these sepals, near the base of the linear appendages onthe right side of the sepal, there is a stipitate gland. There areusually no stipitate glands at the base of the linear appendages alongthe left side of the sepals.

The one sepal in-between the two outer and two inner sepals is a perfectcombination of both, with only one margin having a linear appendage andthe outer surface having one-half the same as that of the inner sepalsand one-half the same as the outer sepals.

-   Peduncle: The length of the peduncle varies from ¾-inch to 1¼-inch,    being most often either 1- or 1¼-inch long, standing straight and    strong. The width is consistently 3/32 inch. The surface has minute    prickles and stipitate glands. The color is a medium green, near    145B, with reddish-anthocyanin coloring weak or absent. A    three-leaflet leaf and/or stipule-like appendage is at the base of    the peduncle.-   Receptacle: The receptacle is smooth, glossy and glabrous with a    medium yellow-green color, near 144A. The diameter is 8/32 to 13/32    inch with a conical or cuneate profile, being truncate at the top.    The stop surface is lighter, near 145D, and circular with a diameter    varying from 8/32- to 13/32-inch but 13/32-inch is the most common    diameter during the warmer months. An alveoli centered in the top    most often measures 5/32-inch in diameter.-   Bloom: When fully expanded the bloom measures 2½- to 3-inches across    and 15/16-inch to 1 1/16-inch deep. The upper profile is flat from    opening to fade. The lower profile starts cupped and then becomes    flattened with petals slightly revolute. During the warmer summer    months petalage averages 28, ranging from 27 to 32 with 2 to 8    petaloids but exceeds 50 petals plus petaloids during the first    blooms of spring.-   Petals: Petals are imbricated. Petals are thick and moderately    heavy. Both surfaces appear satiny. Upper surface texture is    slightly rugose and glabrous; the reverse is generally glabrous and    smooth, being slightly rugose near the outer margin where it begins    to curl under. Where there is white streaking on the upper surface    of the three outer petals, the center most portion of the white is    tomentose.

The width of the outermost petals is ⅞-inch and the length is 15/16- to1 1/16-inches long. The shape of the three outermost petals is broadlycordate. The remainder of the outer petals are broadly obtuse or fanshaped. Progressing in toward the center of the flower, the form of thepetals graduates to obovate-rotundate, then to obovate-oblong andfinally to oblong for the innermost petals and petaloids. The outermargins are generally lunate and are often cleft or deeply notched oneither side of an acute apex, but may only be slightly indented on oneor equidistant on both sides of the apex. The outer petals are most aptto be deeply indented on one side of apex. The innermost petals andpetaloids become increasingly lobed with margins becoming crenate andruffled closest to the center. Some petaloids have truncate uppermargins and/or are only the left or right five-sixths of a petal.

-   Color newly opened flower: Right after the sepals divide, along the    outer margins of the the three outermost petals where they were    first exposed to the sun, is rhodonite red, near 51A. The rest of    the upper surface is shell pink, near 37C, blending into an empire    rose, near 48D, and a light yellow, near 2B, at attachment. There is    often a white streak, near 155B, that may branch out into the petal.    The reverse of only the two outermost petals have a cuneate patch of    rhodonite red on or near the central vein where the petals were    first exposed to the sun by the dividing sepals. The surface on    either side of that patch and along the upper margin is much    lighter, near 54D, spinel red. The remainder of the surface appears    shell pink, near 37D, as it blends in with carrot red, near 29C, at    the base and near 2C at attachment.

As the bloom opens somewhat, the inner petals at the center of theflower are an orient pink, near 36A, on their upper surface which blendsinto mimosa yellow, near 8C, becoming near 8A at attachment. The reverseis orient pink, near 36C, on the upper one-third, then blending intomimosa yellow, near 8B, from the base and point of attachment. The outerpetals become rhodonite red, near 51D, around the margins, lighteningslightly as two-thirds of the way down the petal, it blends into aprimrose yellow, near 9A, from the base and point of attachment. Thereverse becomes near 51D for the upper third before it starts blendingin with chartreuse yellow, near 2B, from the base and the cuneatestreaking still appearing near 51A. The point of attachment is achartreuse green, near 145B.

-   Color of full open flower (5 to 8 days): The color of the outer    petals lightens somewhat to shell pink, near 37D, and blends in with    mimosa yellow, near 8C from the base and aureolin, near 12A, at    attachment. The reverse becomes orient pink, near 36B and then    appears as if flushed by the 48D towards the base, and Naples    yellow, near 11B, at the point of attachment. The upper surface of    the inner petals becomes a medium yellow to light yellow, near 159C,    for their upper half and Indian yellow, near 19C, for the lower    third and blending in-between, and lemon yellow, near 14B, at    attachment. The reverse is peach, near 29D, and becoming salmon,    near 27A, towards the base and Naples yellow, near 11B, at    attachment. The color of the petaloids is similar to that of the    outermost petals, occasionally having a streak of Naples yellow,    near 11B, from the point of attachment up the central vein on their    reverse.

Blooms may fade to uniformly light peach, near 29D or lighter before thepetals begin to drop cleanly from the plant. This entire process maytake 5 to 8 days to fully opened bloom from when the sepals reflex andan additional 5 to 7 days in the fully opened stage, before the bloombegins to fade. Cut flowers can last 10 to 14 days or longer.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens filaments and anthers are regularly attached along the upperperimeter of the receptacle, adjacent to the petals and are 75 to 100 innumber, with the greater quantity being during the warmer months.Filaments are up to ¼-inch long and a lemon yellow, near 14C. Theanthers are a very pale yellow, near 19D, with abundant pollen of a deeporange-yellow, near 20A.

Pistils are located in an alveola in the center of the receptacle. Theyare about sixty percent fewer in number than the stamens. Styles arevery thin and very undulate, varying between 2/16- and 3/16-inch long.Their color is a translucent shade of Tyrian purple, near 61C, and thestigmas are French rose, near 49D. Stigmas are very receptive to manydifferent rose pollens.

This new cultivar readily sets hips and will self-pollinate. The hipsare indehiscent. Their shape varies from pyriform to ovato-rotundo. Thesurface is smooth and glabrous. Seeds do not usually protrude. Diameterof the hips can vary from 9/16- to 11/16-inch.

PLANT

The plant habit of this new cultivar, ‘SAVapam’, is upright and vigorouswith uniform branching, reaching 26 to 32 inches in height and width.The length of the flowering stem varies from 4¼- to 6-inches. Thedistance between nodes varies from 23/32- to 28/32-inch on the centralportion of the stem, between five- and seven-leaflet leaves, with24/32-inch being the most common spacing. There are usually five toseven mature, five- and/or seven-leaflet leaves per stem and usuallythree, alternately located, three-leaflet leaves just below the peduncleon a flowering stem and one three-leaflet leaf at the base of the stem.(Stems branching off from candelabra-type growth may have very erraticspacing between nodes and up to 1½-inches apart with 1¼-inches being themost common spacing.)

‘SAVapam’ has above average resistance to blackspot and rust and verygood resistance to powdery and downy mildews. Its resistance to aphidsis slightly below average but it has very good resistance to thrip,mites and rose midge. This cultivar has been tested for hardiness tozone 5 and for heat tolerance to zone 9.

-   Foliage: Mature foliage is pinnately compound. five- or    seven-leaflet leaves. Size is average for cultivars in the miniflora    class, 3½- to 3¾-inches long. Terminal leaflets are usually around 1    9/16- to 1¾-inches long and ⅞-inch wide. The shape of the leaflets    is oval, pointed, having an acute tip and obtuse base. The upper    surface is semi-glossy and the reverse is matte. The central vein    and primary lateral veins protrude slightly on the underside of the    leaflets with the primary lateral veins being nearly parallel. Both    surfaces are glabrous. Margins are doubly serrated with a stipitate    gland at the tip of each serration.-   New foliage: is a dark green flushed with red anthocyanin coloring,    near 187A and the coloring sometimes appearing even darker. The    reverse is near 187A.-   Old foliage: Anthocyanin color is absent on the old foliage. The    upper surface is dark green, near 139A, and the under surface is    slightly lighter green, near 137B.-   Color of the petioles: and petiolules on the young foliage is a red,    near 183A, on the ridge on the adaxial side and the remainder is    lighter green, near 145A. On mature foliage, the color on the    adaxial side is near 146D and flushed with near 183C and the reverse    is also near 146D and also flushed except where the stipules are    attached.-   Petioles/rachis: have a few stipitate glands along the ridges, a    random hair in the grooves, and numerous, straight, upright hairs    where petiolules are attached. The under surface has some stipitate    glands, on rare occasion in pairs, and random spacing; a few (most    often four) prickles; and occasionally stiff hairs. The color of the    glands and prickles is oxblood red, near 183C. Petiolules are    similar, adding a few stipitate glands in a row along the middle of    the underside.-   Stipules: are occasionally found at the base of the peduncle as well    as on either side of the petiole where it attaches to the stem.    Margins are very unevenly serrated, with stipitate glands between    each serrate and glands on the tip of each serration. The reverse is    glabrous. Part of the edge rolls back, part does not; detached tips    point adaxial or abaxial, randomly. The stipules measure 6/16-inch    attached to the petiole and 3/16-inch detached to 5/16-inch attached    and 2/16-inch detached. Pairs are usually uneven. The color is near    146D with anthocyanin coloring absent. Glands are oxblood red, near    183B.-   Wood: Main stalks range from ⅜-inch to ¾ inch diameter and ¾-inch is    the most common size. Primary laterals vary in diameter from ⅛ to    3/16-inch; those originating from a main lateral above the ground    are most often 3/16-inch. Those originating from below the ground    vary from ⅛ to 3/16-inch. The texture of the new wood is glabrous    and smooth. The color of the new wood is between 137 B and 147A, a    very dark green. Old wood color is lighter, being near 146A and is    also glabrous.

Cuttings taken from young growth produce roots in 10 to 14 days, undermist in greenhouse conditions.

-   Prickles: There are three to six prickles per inch on the main    stalks, zero to two prickles per inch on the primary laterals and    two to four per inch on the secondary laterals. Location is erratic.    The base is elliptical and as long as the prickle; the form is    straight. The length of the prickles on the main stalks varies from    6/32-inch to 9/32-inch and on the laterals from 6/32-inch to    11/32-inch; width is 3/32- to 5/32-inch, irrespective of length. The    color when young is oxblood red, near 183D and when mature, a    grayish-brown, near 199D. Prickles on the undersides of the rachis    are three to ten in quantity with four being the quantity most often    found.

1. A new and distinct variety of hardy, miniflora rose plant is claimed,substantially as illustrated and described, with long lasting,old-fashioned, double flowers of pink and pink blend, on a vigorous andwell branched plant, having above average disease resistance.